13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. 715)

October 23, 2024

1. Currently lusting after these 3D animal portraits:

Immediately must have these at the Cabinet. Stay tuned. See more of the artist’s work here. Found while browsing this incredible home in India on AD Magazine.

2. French Kissing by Edouard Boubat

We all know that famous kiss of Robert Doisneau, but I found these portraits by Édouard Boubat was a French Post-War photographer.

More of his work here.

3. The French Prime Minister’s Wife Who got away with Murder

Here’s a juicy one from the annals of history: in 1914, Henriette Caillaux, the wife of the French Prime Minister murdered the editor of a major French newspaper (Le Figaro) to prevent him from disclosing her relationship with him, which had begun while both were still married to their previous partners. She was acquitted because she was deemed to have acted on “uncontrollable impulses”.

Would make a decent film plot. Scandal found on Wikipedia.

4. Shoe snuff boxes, a surprising collectors piece

In folklore, the shoe is associated with magic and, by default, love, marriage, and good luck. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, miniature ‘shoes’ carved from ‘treen’ (i.e. from a wood such as walnut) were made as snuff boxes or given as love tokens and wedding presents – possibly made as ‘passing out’ pieces by cobbler apprentices. The tiny shoes were decorated with piqué-work, with inlaid metal pins inset into the wood to create fanciful motifs and patterns. Today, these charming novelties are popular collectables.

Found on Collectors Weekly: 6 Surprising Finds That Hold Unexpected Value.

5. A Legendary “Junkyard” Collection of Classic Cars Up for Auction

Since 1967, Rudi Klein, a renowned figure in the world of collecting, had quietly amassed a remarkable collection of automotive treasures in a modest junkyard in Southern Los Angeles. Known for his discerning eye and passion for rare and unique automobiles, Klein’s collection has long been a well-kept secret, with only rumors of its existence swirling amongst certain collectors’ circles.

Now, for the first time, RM Sotheby’s will unveil ‘The Junkyard,’ bringing to market Klein’s extraordinary collection of rare and revered automobiles, parts, and memorabilia in a series of auctions. A rare glimpse into the world of a true collector, this event offers bidders the opportunity to acquire significant models long thought lost or destroyed, along with a trove of automotive parts and treasures; true pieces of automotive history, once lost, now found.

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing

1963 Porsche 356 B Carrera 2 2000 GS Cabriolet by Reutter

1956 Facel Vega FV2 Cabriolet Conversion

Sale takes place on the 26th October through RM Auctions.

6. Iconic London Tube Map Designer’s Archive Is Going on Sale

Late British designer Harry Beck created the original London Underground map in 1933. His archive is now for sale through The Map House in London. Found on Modern Metropolis.

7. These Land Art constructions in the Moroccan desert

Hannsjörg Voth is a German artist mainly known for his Land Art constructions in the Moroccan desert. There he built different structures to connect the arid plain to the stars. Found on Senses Atlas.

8. This painting of a bedroom in Bernstorff Palace near Copenhagen, circa 1845

Built in the middle of the eighteenth century for Danish foreign minister Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, by 1842 the building had fallen into neglect and was about to be demolished when King Christian VIII of Denmark purchased it and ordered a complete renovation. Gertner painted the king on several occasions, so one might assume that some degree of familiarity led to the artist being given the opportunity to portray such a private space.

Found on Gods and Foolish Grande

9. The Surprising Truth about the Songs of Singin’ in the Rain

Only one song used in the film Singin’ in the Rain was entirely new. All of the other songs, including “Singin’ in the Rain”, had already been used in previous films in one form or another.

Screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote one entirely new song, “Moses Supposes”, with music director Roger Edens providing the music (see below). Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown also wrote a new song for the movie, “Make ‘Em Laugh”, but it bears a striking resemblance to Cole Porter’s “Be a Clown” from another MGM Freed-produced musical, The Pirate (1948). Choreographer Stanley Donen, who had asked the pair to write a song inspired by “Be a Clown”, considered the result to be “100% plagiarism”. However, Porter never sued for copyright infringement.

Some of the songs, such as “Broadway Rhythm,” “You Are My Lucky Star,” “Should I?”, and especially “Singin’ in the Rain” itself, have been featured in numerous films. For example:

“Fit as a Fiddle (And Ready for Love)”, originally published in 1932 with music by Al Hoffman and Al Goodhart, lyrics by Freed.
“Temptation” (instrumental only) from Going Hollywood (1933).
“All I Do Is Dream of You” from Sadie McKee (1934). The arrangement in “Singin’ in the Rain” is an up tempo, upbeat, “flapper” version of the song with full instrumentation. In contrast, the “Sadie McKee” version is slower tempo, and appears routinely throughout the film as a love ballad accompanied by a solo ukulele. An instrumental only version with full orchestration is also part of the film’s opening and closing theme. An instrumental version was also played on the piano by Chico Marx in the 1935 Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera.
“Singin’ in the Rain” from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929). Kelly’s performance in the song is now considered iconic.